


Storm Eddies

by Iniora_Nackatori



Series: Infant and Maelstrom [2]
Category: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Family Fluff, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-03 08:31:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17280635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iniora_Nackatori/pseuds/Iniora_Nackatori
Summary: Slice-of-life one-shots of the daily life of Torna post events of Infant and Maelstrom.





	1. Sneak

**Author's Note:**

> Reading Infant and Maelstrom not 100% necessary but strongly recommended. Some of the one-shots slated do spoil parts of that novel of a fic. Fair warning!
> 
> Chapters will be in a rough chronological order subject to change without notice.

Exiting the behemoth monster of a battleship which was Mor Adrain's crowning glory, Minoth had to stop. And look up. And look up a fair bit more. With a low whistle, Minoth gave up trying to find the palace's top. Too bloody damn high. Had it always been so huge?

"Kind of a lot to take in, yeah?" asked their Gormotti Driver escort. Jac, he'd said his name was. Special Assistant to the Special Inquisitor; Driver Second Class. Whatever _that_ meant in plain common. His common lance Blade was courteous. His legend class ax Blade was one request for a fight short of Obrona zapping her unconscious.

Iona shifted to lean against Minoth's kneecaps a wee bit more.

"Just a touch," Minoth allowed, resting a hand on his granddaughter's shoulder.

"It's not so daunting once you're inside. Way I hear it, you'll --"

" _Hey there!_ " boomed a voice like mountain bones given sound.

Obrona fluttered over Minoth and Iona's heads. The pixie gasped, "Cressidus?!"

A Blade human shaped but sized like a mountain writ small lumbered over with slowing haste. It might have been his writer's mind playing tricks on him, but Minoth could have sworn the earth shook with each of the giant's steps.

"Have an escort," Jac concluded, grinning.

"Hi, Obrona!" boomed the massive Blade.

"Cressidus!" Obrona short forward, exclaiming with squeaky delight, "You remember, too!"

A hand big as a buloofo's flank gently swatted at Obrona to get her to land. "Did you not read the letter? We _all_ did!"

"All? Wait -- Perdido and Sever are here, too?"

At Cressidus's chuckle affirmative, Obrona squeaked with terror. She immediately dove for cover behind Minoth. Minoth looked from the shivering Obrona attended to by Iona, to the giant Blade. Arched a questioning brow.

"Sever might have maybe swore to rip Obrona's wings off a time or two when some of her pranks backfired," Cressidus filled in. He hastily added, "He didn't really mean it! ...I think."

"I'm dead. Doomed. _Doomed_!" Obrona wailed.

"You are not," Iona corrected sharply. Squaring her shoulders, Iona declared, "I --"

"Sever's way out of your weight class!" Obrona squeaked, alarmed.

"Not out of mine," Minoth countered. He tacked on a silent, _I hope._

There had not been a way to do much testing over the past six months. Truth was, Minoth didn't _want_ to test it much. This miracle of being returned not only from the dead but to what felt like his prime -- who knew how tenuous it was. He might wake up one morning and find everything gone once more. Or, for better or worse, not wake up at all.

 _Worry about what you can, old man,_ Minoth chided himself. For now, what Minoth could worry about was keeping Obrona breathing. And --

And watching a familiar looking toddler trying to be stealthy. Minoth may not have had the best memory, but the kid was a special exception. People who got _cuddled_ by the Aegis of Destruction tended to stick in Minoth's memory.

 _The hell is she up to...?_ Minoth wondered.

The Aegis of Destruction himself appeared to teleport behind the toddler. One blink, he hadn't been there. Next blink, there he was, scooping up the girl and tossing her over his shoulder as though she were a small sack of wiggling grains. The toddler protested with a squeaky scream and a token pound to the Aegis's shoulder.

"Going to put a Father damned leash on you," Malos grumbled. "You were told _not_ to go anywhere without one of us with you. I told you. _Jin_ told you. I'm pretty damn sure _all of us_ told you at some point today. You're in time-out."

The toddler squirmed vigorously. "No!"

"Yes. Actions have _consequences_ , brat," Malos rumbled.

"No!" repeated the toddler. "Malos no!"

"Malos yes," Malos himself retorted.

The next, " _No!_ " bounced with a tantrum scream. Thwarted, the girl began to add kicking and slapping to her fussing.

Malos paused. "You had your nap on time. You _were_ behaving. What's with the attitude, brat?"

"No!" shouted the girl.

Malos slid her off his shoulder and into his arms. "Words aren't just there to be annoying, brat. Take your time and spell it out."

Minoth blinked. Twice. Malos being calm, rational, and responsive instead of answering anger with anger? Maybe Minoth _was_ still dead...

Hell of it was, it seemed to be working. The girl took a handful of gulping, gasping breaths. She brought her hands up in front of her. There were a few false starts but she eventually got her fingers to flicker into patterns.

Malos sighed. "This is why we keep insisting you practice your words. Telling one of us that first would have saved us all some headaches."

The toddler sniffled. Her fingers flicked into new patterns.

"Brat," Malos sighed, leaning forward so their forehead's touched. Malos breathed in a sigh. "Alright. _We_ will go say hi to Jac, Yachink, and Zenobia. You're still in time-out for not asking first. Do you understand why?"

The little one's fingers flickered.

"Right. Now. There anything else you want to get done?"

The girl sniffled negative.

"Then let's get going." The Aeigs turned towards them --

At least Malos seemed as surprised to see Minoth as Minoth was to see Malos. There was an awkward pause as Minoth and Malos exchanges looks. At length Minoth said, "Hey."

"Hey," Malos replied in kind.

"Malos!" Obrona shot over to Malos before Iona could do more than squeak. Malos's warning glare stopped the pixie short of impact. "Sever remembers!"

 _Yeah, and?_ Malos's look demanded.

Obrona squeaked, " _He's gonna kill me!_ "

Malos was unruffled. "Maim. Maybe. Way I hear it, his day job is keeping him too busy for," a toothy grin, "side projects."

"I'm doomed!" Obrona bemoaned.

Malos rolled his eyes, sidestepping Obrona's melodrama. A passing nod to Cressidus, a bird-quick nod to Iona -- who managed not to gulp, and returned the nod in kind -- and Malos was over by Jac.

"'ello, there, you two," Jac greeted warmly. The Gormotti went so far as to offer his hand.

The fact Malos cordially returned the gesture with a warrior's grip to the forearm was surprising. "Finally got you a uniform that doesn't kill your ears, huh?" Malos quipped.

"Shock of shocks, such a thing exists. I also got a promotion, not that I think I earned it." Jac rubbed the back of his head in youthful embarrassment.

"Shut up. You survived Torna with your head on straight. You earned it."

...one more bit of weirdness.

Malos bounced the sniffly toddler in a non-verbal, _Go on._

The little girl waived.

Jac smiled, "Hello, Millie. My sibs all said to say hello if I saw you. You're doing alright? Staying out of trouble?"

A nod affirmative turned to a shy negative.

"She's fine. She is not staying out of trouble. Brat's in time-out for sneaking off by herself," Malos elucidated.

"Is it the sneaking part you're in trouble for, or the _by yourself_ bit?" Jac inquired.

The little girl's fingers folded into a pattern.

Jac nodded, "Makes sense. After your time's up, why don't we all get together for dinner down in town? I need to have a word with your first Blade down any road."

A curious double blink.

"Morca's _present_ ," Jac hinted.

Malos's confusion turned to mirth.

"Laugh it up, you. Ursula is a darling, and Berry is swell. The two of them damn near gave Da a heart attack." Jac gave Malos a passable mirthful glare. "Zenobia 'd like ta have a word."

Malos _grinned_.

Jac just shook his head. "I'll pass yer hellos to Yachink and Zenobia. See you both later, yah? You and the rest of Torna?"

"Yeah. One of us will find you first, probably," Malos half confirmed, half warned.

"I'll count on it, Aegis," Jac replied.

Snorting at the use of his title, Malos waited for the young girl to say her goodbyes. And then he -- left. Simple as that.

"How the hell are you on speaking terms with _him_?" Minoth blurted.

Jac blushed faintly. "I -- ah -- may have, sort of, saved his Driver's life once."

"May have sort of?" Iona echoed, matching Minoth's incredulous look.

Jac honest to Architect _blushed_. "It's a long story."

Cressidus snickered.


	2. Fetch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's a massive spoiler for the end of Infant and Maelstrom. Ye have been warned.

Jin woke.

Why, he was not sure. The inn room split between himself, Akhos, Mikhail, and Malos was quite with the sound of their sleepy breathing. The inn at large seemed quiet, too; there was no noise out of place Jin could immediately detect. So then, if not sound, what had woken him?

There was a tugging on the coattail of his armor.

Sitting up slowly so as to avoid making any sound, Jin found the source of the tugging to be – Millie. She was standing at the bed’s edge, hands now clinging to the frame instead of his coat, eyes wide in the night-dark room. Seeing Jin up, Millie pointed at the door. Acknowledging her request with a nod, Jin got to his feet, picked up his Driver, and made as quiet an exit as possible.

Once they were in the hall, Jin inquired, “What’s wrong?”

“’aze,” Millie said, her fingers spelling out, _bad sleep_.

Bad sleep…? “A nightmare?” Jin guessed. Millie nodded affirmative. “Haze is having a nightmare?” Another nod affirmative.

And Millie had come to Jin directly. Interesting. For most things, she defaulted to her first Blade. Well. Jin could inquire –

“What are you doing up?” Patroka’s voice abruptly sounded.

Jin eyed her. The earth Blade had a towel wrapped around her dripping wet hair, a glass of water in one hand, and a small waterproof carry case containing shampoo, soap, and other toiletries. Jin’s arching eyebrow asked his question.

“No one uses the baths at this time of night,” Patroka answered. She eyed Millie and Jin; raised eyebrow reiterating her earlier question.

“ _no_ ,” came a windy gasp from Millie’s room.

“That,” Jin answered, setting Millie back on the ground.

Opening the door, Jin's first sight was of a pile of sheets partially ripped into a tattered shield. The ether shuddered as it was torn between forming a shield and an attack. Opening the door further, Jin stepped inside, ready to shield if needed. A mind torn by nightmares could not tell friend from foe until light banished the last of the clawed terror's grip. This, Jin knew from experience. From the hall, Jin heard Patroka put her bath things down. Her voice was a low mumble drifting away; wise to keep Millie clear for now, for both her and Haze's sake.

Haze had pushed herself into the far corner of the room. Clinging to her staff as though it were a lifeline, she had made herself as small as possible. She shook so bad she seemed to vibrate.

"Haze?" Jin called softly.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Haze attempted to curl further into herself.

Keeping each action deliberate, Jin moved to sit next to Haze. The wind Blade whimpered but did not voice a complaint.

 _This was no simple nightmare_ , Jin knew. _A flashback. A bad one._

Jin had endured them so many, many times over the centuries. Time had dulled them, but they had never left him.

"Spessia?" Jin inquired.

Haze swallowed down a lump. "After," she managed.

Jin nodded, letting the silence soothe Haze where he could not. The massacre had been a horror; after, a ceaseless nightmare. There were no words which could ease such memories back into the dark. Only time.

Haze leaned so as to rest her head against Jin's shoulder.

"Amalthus was everything Lora was not. Cold. Chaotic. A thing which absorbed all the warmth in the world, but could never itself be warm." Haz shuddered, chilled by the memory.

Jin held her hand, keeping Haze still. "Perhaps you should speak with Malos," Jin suggested.

Haze gave Jin's hand a squeeze. "I apologize for waking you."

Jin corrected, "Millie did."

Haze paused, mind tumbling over from the past to focus on the immediate: "How did she get out of the crib?"

A good question. The crib was a portable model, but in the six weeks since purchase it had severed well enough. Mikhail had kept his tinkering with it to a minimum as well.

Almost as one, Haze and Jin stood. Jin got the lights. Haze rubbed the last tears away so as to clearly investigate the crib. It was still as it had been set up: Four barred walls blockading a toddler sized lump of fluff which served as a bed. The latches which allowed the walls to be taken down were still secure.

"...she climbed out?" Haze wondered, a worried note to her tone.

"She has climbed a sizable apple tree before," Jin hummed.

The air stilled. "Sizable?" Haze demanded.

Jin failed to keep a smile in check. "You and Malos really should talk."

" _Jin_."

"There were multiple safeties in place," Jin assured the worried wind Blade.

"How. Sizable," Haze repeated her demand.

Jin gave Haze a _look_.

"Jin!" Haze whined.

"Ask Millie yourself," Jin suggested.

"I will. Right now." Haze hesitated. "Where is she?"

"With Patroka."

"...where did Patroka go?"

"My bed most likely."

"So then... Where is Millie sleeping?"

"With Malos," Jin presumed.

Haze blinked. Without further word, she exited the girls' room. Haze arrived at the men's room promptly. Careful so as to insure the door would not squeak much, Haze opened the door.

As Jin had suspected, Patroka had claimed Jin's empty bed. Also as Jin had prognosticated, Millie had flopped herself over Malos's upper torso and was using his shoulder for a pillow. Either Millie herself or Malos had pulled up the unused bed sheet to act as a blanket for Millie, setting it draping halfway over Malos.

Haze closed the door. Looked at Jin. Pointed in Millie and Malos's general direction. Squeaked; the high pitched sound might have been a gasped, _"Cute!_ "

Jin shook his head, using a sigh to cover a smile.


	3. Observations

Last night had been... odd.

Five nights ago, her own nightmare had come to call, waking solely her young Driver. (And by extension Jin.) It had been blade sharp and keenly felt; more memory than dream, more dream than truth.

Except last night had felt equally surreal in its own way.

Looking up at her with a slice of toast halfway hanging out his mouth, Malos's eyes narrowed. He finished his bite, chewed, swallowed, and grumbled, "What?"

Haze bought herself some time by dishing herself seconds on the eggs. Mikhail's skills had certainly improved over the years. Almost as good as Jin's. Malos's eyes stayed on her.

"Last night," Haze tentatively began.

"Brat had a night terror. Get's 'em sometime," Malos stated, blunt as a sack of hammers to the foot.

The young lady in question put down her spoon so as to add her own two gold. Haze was still somewhat weak when it came to to hand signals, but she thought young Millie was saying, _bads, big, smash_. ...Er. Had that been the signal for applesauce?

Yes it had been, because Mikhail passed the jar down from his end of the table towards Millie. Malos intercepted the sizable container. He gave a look to Millie. Millie frowned in deep concentration, then held up four fingers. Malos arched an eyebrow. Pouting a little, Millie held up two fingers, instead. Malos capitulated and spooned up two sizable dollops of applesauce onto the little one's plate.

Haze watched and wondered.

Malos tightened the lid on the applesauce jar, and then gave Haze another _look_. "Will you quit that?" Malos growled.

Haze blinked, realizing Malos was... He was blushing!

Akhos cut in with a question: "You remember what the bad dream was about, Millie?"

 _Bads_ , Millie's fingers flickered.

"Guildos?" Akhos inquired.

Millie nodded affirmative.

"And of course Malos handed the guildos their asses," Mikhail snickered.

Millie chirped an affirmative. The next flickering set of words went by too fast for Haze to catch all of it, but she was able to get the gist: Malos was the best ever.

...goodness. No wonder Malos was blushing.

"Brat," Malos grumbled, eyes riveted on his breakfast.

Millie giggled and tucked in to her applesauce.

* * *

 

Alert to it now, Haze continued to observe. Her young Driver had a fondness for Jin, and a boundless enthusiasm for exploring which matched Mikhail's own adventitious spirit. The child had a unique relationship with Akhos, absorbing his stories as a sponge would water. Her relationship with Patroka was straightforward as a spear's point.

But it was to Malos the girl looked. First. Always. The same way Lora had always looked to Jin.

The same way a young sister looked to their world-wise older brother.

"You're staring again," Malos grumbled under his breath.

"Observing," Haze corrected, voice equally quiet. Young lady Millie was totally engrossed in the writing lessons Akhos was walking her through; it wouldn't do to break her concentration.

Malos grunted an inquiry.

"She loves you." _And you love her_ , Haze mutely added. Impossible as it was, the fact was there, plain as a Blade's Core Crystal. Doubly so, what with Millie having half of Malos's Core Crystal.

Malos hesitated. And then smiled, a soft quirk of lips whose delicate nature turned Malos's dark gruffness into just another fellow.


	4. Smash Play

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wherein Malos deals with an inevitability.

They were setting up camp for their fifth night in the Leftherian Archipelago when Akhos dropped a bombshell.

Torna's strategist was subtle about it. Patroka and Mikhail were tangled with the tents (literally tangled in Mikhail's case). Haze was working on cooking a couple too-dumb-to-live flamiis. Jin was allegedly assisting Haze in the cooking; in reality, he was keeping a weather eye on Millie. Torna's Driver was keeping herself occupied sorting her not unimpressive collection of fresh picked flowers into various piles.

Which left Malos and Akhos on canteen refill detail. The closest spot for fresh water was near enough to keep the camp in sight, far enough not to be overheard.

All well and good considering Akhos's first sentence on completing his half of their task was: "Millie asked me to teach her how to use my weapon."

Malos damn near dropped the canteen he'd been refilling.

"She _what_?" Malos demanded.

"You heard me," Akhos confirmed. He had his arms loosely crossed over his chest; defensive, and a bit annoyed.

"She's _three_ ," Malos snarled.

 _Goodness, Malos, I hand't realized,_ Akhos's look sarcastically snarked.

Malos kept himself from grinding his teeth in frustration. Deliberately, he finished filling the last canteen. Then he growled out, "Why?"

Akhos took a breath, right index finger held aloft in preparation for a lecture. Paused. Adjusting his glasses, Akhos passed the buck: "On second thought, it'd be best if you ask Millie directly."

Oh Malos was going to _ask_ alright... Twisting to his feet, Malos left his half of the canteens to Akhos. The Aegis did not storm back to camp. He did make damn certain everyone knew who he wanted to talk to.

" _Brat!_ "

It really said something his brat looked utterly nonplused by Malos's bellow. She did, however, quit messing with her flower collection so as to give Malos her attention. By the time Malos got into camp, he had everyone else's attentions, too.

Malos knelt down to look Millie in the eye. Given their difference in height, it still looked as though Malos were looming.

"You ask Akhos to teach you to fight?" Malos demanded.

Millie looked around and behind Malos.

"I did tell you I'd have to tell him," Akhos stated simply enough Malos could practically _hear_ the electric Blade's shrug.

"Brat," Malos growled.

Millie looked back to Malos.

"Did you?"

Millie nodded affirmative.

" _Why?_ " The word came out as a growl. Better a growl then a whine...

Millie moved to start signing. Looked instead at her collection, and grinned. She picked up seven flowers from the various bunches and set them near her. Then she grabbed a hodgepodge of flowers in her right fist. The toddler exaggerated a monster's roar as she set the hodgepodge closest to Malos.

"Bunch of monsters," Patroka guessed.

Millie giggled an affirmative. Their Driver then picked up a gold-brown flower, a purple blossom, and a small icy white flower from the seven she'd set aside first. She put those three closest to the "monsters", then moved the "monsters" as though they were advancing.

"Myself, Patroka, and Malos," Jin identified.

Another giggly nod affirmative. Millie split the monster pile into two. The first batch had some "monsters" slain, tossed aside to show they were dead. The second batch moved around the tokens standing in for Torna's front line fighters. Millie added to the imaginary attack a purple-blue rose, a green-laced white flower, and a small purple bud. For some reason she put the bud under the green-laced white flower.

Haze bounced, "Oh! Is that me shielding you?"

"And yours truly kicking ass," Mikhail stuck in.

Millie nodded affirmative. Then, with exaggerated care, she took the last flower she'd set aside -- a gold one, almost the same identifying color as electric ether -- and set it at the rear.

"And that," Akhos hummed, "would be me."

One of the "monsters" got close enough to wrinkle Haze's stand-in's petals. The golden Akhos flower did a flip. The too close "monster" was sent flying off to join its "dead" compatriots.

Right. So his brat paid attention to how they fought. It didn't answer why --

Millie took the bud which was her stand-in, and moved it. Next to Akhos's flower.

Without "Millie" under her petals, Haze's flower was able to go to town on the attacking "monsters". Akhos's flower was still "shooting" from the rear, now with added bud backup. In quick order Millie had tossed all the "monsters" into the "dead" pile.

Akhos was always at the rear. Last to engage, and always from a distance whenever he could get away with it. And Millie had seen that, and already knew they kept her with Haze to keep her safe, and... She _couldn't_ have asked Malos first. Malos was always first in the fight, which was exactly where Millie should _not_ be because it was too dangerous.

Malos wanted to keep her safe.

_Brat wants to keep me safe, too._

Father _damn_ it. Why hadn't anyone warned Malos having a good Driver was this worrying?

"I'm afraid there's one critical flaw in your logic, Millie," Akhos spoke up. Malos's brat blinked at Akhos. "Teaching you how to properly use my weapon -- any of our weapons, truly -- is going to take months, if not years. It will take hard work. Much harder work than getting a flower bracelet just right."

Millie nodded as though having expected as much.

Akhos adjusted his glasses. "Very well. If you're serious about this, and if there are no objections?" Akhos waited a beat.

Malos wanted to object. He desperately wanted to. Learning how to fight was one step shy of looking for danger. The thought of his brat in danger twisted his guts into knots.

 _My brat doesn't have to go looking for trouble to find her,_ Malos knew.

"We'll add it to the lesson plans," Malos said. His voice should have been shaking. It wasn't.

Millie put all her flowers aside, stood up, and toddled into Malos. Her small arms wrapped around him and held on tight.

"Big," Millie murmured.

Malos returned the hug, hearing the words Millie really wanted to say: _Love you_.

_Love you, too, brat._


	5. Scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was in need of fluff. And you know little kids get into everything...

Ten months since this place had finished construction, and it was still weird to think it. It was _nice_ to be home.

A house on the edge of Hero's Rest was no Monoceros; but, short of finding a secret Tornan base or rebuilding the thing from scratch (neither of which was physically possible), nothing would be. The house served well enough. Hot running water, a nice bed, and a room all to himself were all the things Mikhail could ask for.

The bathroom door was starting to open. Mikhail ignored it for the most part; he was decent. Shirtless, sure, but that just meant Patroka was going to get a nice view.

Brushing the last strands of hair into place, Mikhail began to chuckle, "Hey there --"

There was a _zing_ in his Core Crystal coinciding with someone _much_ too small to be Patroka making all haste outta there.

 _Millie?!_ Mikhail realized.

Malos's voice roared through the house: " _Mikhail!_ "

Slapping a towel around his shoulders, shirt in one hand, Mikhail headed for Malos's bellow. Sounded like he was in the kitchen?

Well, he _had_ been wherever. Carrying their four year old in one arm with the same ease as though she were still two, Malos intercepted Mikhail in the hall. Millie's fingers were dancing a panicked tune of, _See I told you he was hurt and didn't tell anyone_ again _like a dumbass!_

Malos slapped his free hand against his face. "Brat," he attempted to get in edgewise.

 _You can't tell me that's not a_ **huge** _boo-boo!_ Millie protested.

Mikhail couldn't help it. He snickered as he got it.

Millie puffed up her cheeks, affronted.

"Scars," Mikhail managed around snickers. Gesturing to the network of scars radiating from around his Core Crystal, Mikahil explained, "These are scars, Mil'. Old scars. Real nasty wounds leave scars when they heal."

 _They look ouchie_ **,** Millie protested.

"Oh they were seriously ouchie when I got hurt," Mikhail confirmed. "But that was over five hundred years ago, Mil'. They don't hurt now."

Disbelief defined Millie's expression. Small fingers inquired, _Not hurt?_

"Not hurt," Mikhail promised.

Millie eyed Mikhail warily. _Sure?_

Mikhail looked a question to Malos. Malos handed Millie over with a sighed, "Overprotective brat."

 _She learned it from you,_ Mikhail quipped privately.

Mikhail took Millie's hand and let her touch one of the scars. "See? Not hot or inflamed and it doesn't hurt."

Millie touched gently. Her free hand flickered, _Looked ouchie_.

"Yep. But not ouchie now. We good?"

Millie nodded.

Mikhail set Mille down. "Good. I'm gonna go get finished dressing, then grab breakfast. You got lessons with Azurda, yeah?"

Millie chirped an affirmative. She hesitated another moment.

Mikhail pat her head when Millie tacked his shins in a hug. She held him for a minute, and then reluctantly went on her way with Malos. Malos added an eye roll over theatrics in general before departing.

Yeah. Being home was nice.


	6. The Question

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You ever have one of those fic bits where you know its not to standard, that doesn't quite fit with a fic, but it covers a question that needs to be asked?
> 
> ...yeah. That's what this trainwreck is.
> 
> This is set during the last chapter of Infant. I'm sticking it at the end of Eddies in perpetuity. Maybe I'll figure out how to fix it some day, maybe not. *shrug*

"Why hasn't a knife been put through his Core Crystal?"

He halted outside door. The door was cracked open, which was probably not good. The voices inside carried a lot farther with the door open. The hallway was empty excluding himself. The two doors closest to this door were closed. That was good, considering there was supposed to be a party going on. Talk like this was a real mood killer.

"Why _hasn't_ a knife been put through his Core Crystal?" repeated the speaker. Male and angry, but they didn't sound blindly angry. Venting to get all the angry out.

"You think someone could get near enough to do him in?" asked a second voice. This one was female who sounded like they were dunking their rage into bitter chill sarcasm.

"Mor Ardain could have!" the male shot back.

"And lost half their palace in the process. He didn't get the name _Endbringer_ just because of his ego," countered the female.

"He mostly got it because of his ego," Mythra quipped.

He was so tempted to hide his face in his hands.

"Why is he allowed to live when too many good people aren't?" the male shot back.

The woman's voice cracked with leashed frustration: "Because killing Malos won't bring them back to life!"

"It'll sure as hell make the survivors feel better!"

"Oh yeah. I'm sure they'll feel _great_ to know they killed a little kid's guardian _and_ all the family she has left in the world. A kid who will grow up hating you, and everyone who let you get away with it. A kid who will grow up, come back, and kill you. And then your kids will grow up hating her, will kill her, and it _will never stop_. _It will never stop!_ "

The woman's voice painted harshly in the echoing silence.

"So we're just going to say, he's given our forgiveness now because he had a kid?" the male voice asked softly.

"Forgiveness isn't given," Mythra cut in.

"What?"

He opened the door.

"Forgiveness isn't given. It's earned."

The two mercs both jumped. Mythra gave him a lopsided smile before looking away, one hand on her hip.

"That's something Vandham told me," Rex continued. "You can't be _given_ forgiveness. You've got to earn it. There isn't a way to make up for all the bad things Malos and Jin and all the rest of them did. All you can do is offer 'em a hand while they try to figure out right 'n' wrong again. Help try and keep 'em steady if they falter."

"Malos cold-clocked you, boss!" the male merc protested.

Rex rubbed at the phantom ache. "They got a _lot_ of work to do. Malos 'specially. But helping them -- all them -- is what I think I need to do. It's what Vandham would ah done."

The two mercs looked away.

"I still want to put a knife in him," the male grumbled.

"If you actually succeed in doing so, Malos 'll have deserved the blood loss for being that stupid," Mythra dryly quipped.

"Could we talk less 'bout stabbing people, more 'bout stabbing dinner?" Rex asked.

The two mercs exchanged looks between themselves and Mythra.

"Yeah, sure," said the female merc.

Rex stood aside so everyone could exit. Mythra said in parting, "You know that's not the last time the question is going to be asked."

"Seventh Rule of the Salvagers' Code," Rex replied.

Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, Mythra headed back towards the party.


End file.
